My MCV and Doomsday Novel - Chapter 5
My MCV and Doomsday
Author: Dark Litchi© Webnovel
Chapter 1: The End of the World Is Approaching
Translator: Liu_Kaixuan Editor: Valvrave
At the end of September, the long hot summer was finally over, and autumn had arrived.
However, people still had a long spell of warm weather in Jiangbei Town. The temperature stayed above 30℃ in the daytime, but during the night it suddenly dropped and made people shiver. Almost everyone was fed up with this terrible weather.
In the south part of the town, there was a small rental house. It was a bit noisy because of the nonstop buzzing sound coming from the air conditioning fan. It was a room less than fifteen square meters with attached living room and bedroom while the bathroom and kitchen were on the other side.
Although the room was small, it still looked very tidy. The owner of the house was a lean young man sitting on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed, firmly staring at a TV placed not far away.
The noon newscast of the state television was playing on the screen.
Barely a week ago, Jiang Liushi had never used this TV to watch anything other than matches, and he certainly didn’t watch the noon newscast.
But now Jiang Liushi was not only unprecedentedly sitting in front of the TV, but also concentrating on the time. Today at 12:45:51, the National Television Station would broadcast a piece of important news in the noon newscast program.
“An international scientific team has just held a press conference announcing that they found a prehistoric super virus, which is currently known to be one of the four super-viruses in the permafrost of the Siberian Far East region. Scientists had discovered another giant virus1 in the area a year ago, but it had not been announced until recently. At the same time, researchers say they are still in the initial stages of virus research and do not know whether such a prehistoric virus can infect a human or animal’s body… Some experts also said that as long as the frozen layer is kept frozen, we do not have to consider the virus a threat… ”
“That’s it!” Jiang Liushi suddenly stood up from the bed and glanced at the phone for the time. It was 12:45. It was almost accurate to the second.
“My God! It is the third time this happens…” Jiang Liushi was staring at the TV screen, but his focus was not on the news. He already knew everything about this news-its content and the first time media had broadcasted it.
Because it was a live conference, naturally there should be no leak of information in advance. Even if the press and journalists already got wind of the meeting a day ago, they could not get the specific content. However, Jiang Liushi knew the news in advance. Actually, not only this news but also several international incidents of this week.
Jiang Liushi had not suddenly acquired the superpower to predict the future. However, something unexpected had indeed happened a week ago. He had discovered in his brain an entity called Starseed, that could potentially help him.
At the same time, Jiang Liushi got some information from it, including some news broadcasted from the future. One of the most important was today’s news about the discovery of giant viruses.
Once this news was confirmed, it would mean that the other information that Jiang Liushi had acquired from the Starseed was also true. ‘A virus outbreak and the end of the world is approaching!’
As a matter of fact, the previous news was about the absence of some heads of state from some important activities, as well as the cancellation of some important international meetings or trips.
This kind of news did not attract too much attention, but Jiang Liushi knew very well that many countries had already heard about the virus infection and were making the necessary preparations to retreat.
Virus infection outbreaks were very fast, and there were no effective means to contain them at all. Therefore, informing people would only cause huge panic and massive riots. As a result, the public was kept in the dark about everything, and people were living their lives normally without noticing that some public figures had not appeared for a long time.
This conference on the virus was the last act of kindness from high-level managers. They did not want to see ordinary people die without knowing why. There would be no sign of this imminent disaster until two o’clock ten days later.
Unlike Jiang Liushi, ordinary people would not realize it by just watching the news. Although many people used phones for browsing, microblogging, socializing and reading the news, they actually used them mostly for entertainment.
Jiang Liushi did not intend to post the truth about this matter. Since the hype of the Maya prophecy, the various predictions of Armageddon on network sites had been endless. There were plenty of 2012XXX series of printed books as well as related movies. Everyone was already immune to this topic.
A post by him would not cause any concern. It could only cause a kind of harmony because he knew this was the truth. As a result, it could make the top managers more vigilant.
Although this possibility was minimal, Jiang Liushi still did not want to do anything meaningless that could cause him unnecessary trouble. Plus, even Jiang himself had doubted it when he’d first heard the news. It was not until that day that he had been entirely convinced of the authenticity of this matter.
For starters, anyone who found out about the upcoming apocalypse would not believe it unconditionally. Everything seemed normal, so why would one believe that the end of the world was coming?
After confirming it, Jiang Liushi realized that he had only one week left and needed to start preparing immediately.
First, Jiang Liushi purchased a lot of food on the Internet and other everyday necessities. For the sake of safety, he also bought a lot of compact high-energy food and drinking water, as well as emergency medicine.
These things could be sent within a day or two, and Jiang could save the procurement time. He also bought jackets, lightweight wear-resistant shoes, disposable underwear, etc. For safety purposes, he also purchased a dagger from a retailer in town.
Although people didn’t believe in the end of the world at all, Jiang Liushi had already made a list in his mind, which would help him survive. It was a detailed list of what he had to do.
Actually, a lot of information could be found on the internet. Obviously, the internet never lacked boring people and their boring posts provided a lot of references and help. Jiang Liushi soon methodically finished most of the preparations.
Then it was time for the real highlight. The Starseed’s purpose was not only to inform him about the coming disaster. It also gave him a self-preservation ability amid this disaster.
Helping him finish the mechanical refitting and upgrading was the real function of Starseed. However, Jiang Liushi needed to provide the main design and materials of modifying. Jiang’s first thought was a vehicle. A vehicle would be the most practical and convenient way of modification.
Among all types of vehicles, Jiang Liushi had to cross out the sedan, because this kind of car was relatively delicate and it could not play any role in that chaos. Doomsday posts recommended off-road vehicles as the most suitable, but Jiang Liushi didn’t like them because of their little internal space.
Subjectively speaking, Jiang Liushi’s first choice was huge long trucks. They were like a kind of train on the road. The car wheels alone were about the height of a human, but the number of these cars was very limited, so Jiang could only dream of one.
After online searching, Jiang finally decided on two kinds of cars. One was a container truck, and the other was a minibus. In favor of internal space, Jiang Liushi finally decided to go with the minibus. However, Jiang Liushi could not afford to buy an expensive minibus. After purchasing the materials, his bank balance was reduced to less than a thousand yuan, and the word poor was not enough to describe his current state…
If he had a house to sell, Jiang Liushi would have sold it at a low price without any hesitation. Unfortunately, he had sold his house when he had still been in high school. At the time, his parents had just passed away, so in order for his sister and him to survive, they’d had to sell it. They’d lived in rental housing ever since.
Jiang Liushi withdrew almost all the money from his account to purchase the materials. He could also earn thousands of yuan by selling his TV, computer and other electronic appliances, but it would still not be enough. As for robbery or theft, an ordinary student like Jiang Liushi had less than a 20 percent chance of success. Even if he was lucky, there was more than an 80 percent chance of him being caught.
Jiang Liushi did not intend to buy a car. He would rent a car. However, renting a car also required a small amount of money. Jiang Liushi already had a general idea about prices through the Internet. Even renting a common bus would cost more than 1,000 dollars a day, and ten days would cost about 15,000. Plus, he also needed to buy a lot of materials and metal to complete the modification of the minibus. The shortage of money caused him a massive headache.
The following Tuesday would be the end of the world. It was quickly approaching. As he lay in bed, Jiang Liushi took a deep breath. He felt a little flustered. As a student, it was impossible to keep calm when he needed to face the upcoming challenge.
He opened his QQ and clicked on the ID of Li Jun. An idea formed in his head, and he immediately sent a message to Li Jun.
Soon after, the message tone was heard. The chat interface appeared along with Li Jun’s reply, “Have you seen my new login device?”
Jiang just looked at his ID, which at the moment was saying “iPhone 7 online.” No wonder he was online.
The iPhone 7 was just the latest cell phone launched that month. To be specific, it had just been on the market for a few days. Its price was rather high, so only a few people were willing to buy it. Li Jun had unexpectedly bought one. No wonder his tone was so flamboyant.
“This phone costs about 8,000 yuan!!!” Jiang Liushi exclaimed. He could not afford it at all. He could never buy a phone like that in his whole life.
Li Jun triumphantly replied, “You wonder how I got the first batch at such a low price? I found a cell phone dealer that helped me buy it for an additional 2,000 yuan!”
‘A cell phone costing 10,000 yuan!’ Jiang Liushi could not believe it. His parents had died prematurely, so he’d had no choice but to take care of his sister. As a result, their life had always been frugal.
However, it seemed that Li Jun had plenty of money. Jiang Liushi quickly typed, “Do you have any plans for next Tuesday?”
“Next Tuesday? Let me think. Ah, I met a girl on WeChat and next Tuesday I will take her to a bar. Then after drinking… you know what I want to do!”
Jiang Liushi became upset and thought for some time. Biting the bullet, he finally said, “Next Tuesday I want to play games with you. Can we just stay in the bedroom and not go out? We should lock the doors and windows too.”
“What?” Li Jun did not react at all.
“Are you out of your mind? Sorry, I’m not free.”
“Well…” Jiang sighed and shook his head. He had tried his best. In fact, even if they stayed in the dormitory and locked the doors and windows, they still would not be able to avoid the outbreak of the virus. Actually, everyone was already infected. Ten days later, it would ultimately depend on their immune system whether they would turn into a monster or not.
Locking the doors and windows was just to make sure that those monsters would not kill Li Jun. Obviously, Li Jun would not agree with him, so there was no other way. Jiang said, “Li Jun, I need money urgently. Can you return the 2,000 yuan you borrowed from me?”
Li Jun replied, “Oh. I will give it to you in a few days. I promise.”
Jiang Liushi frowned. “I need it immediately. It was my emergency money.”
“Really? Wait, that girl is calling me. I have to talk to her. Hold on a minute,” Li Jun replied.
Jiang waited for a while, but there was no response from Li Jun. Jiang shook his head and called his other roommate. “Luo Ming, can you lend me 2,000 yuan?”
“I am broke, I spent everything on games. I wanted to borrow some money from you. What do you need the money for anyway?” Luo Ming asked.
“Nothing.” Jiang Liushi knew that Luo Ming was a big fan of games. Although his family was fairly well off, due to his habit of spending everything on games, he was always short on money.
“Luo Ming, listen to me carefully. Next Tuesday you should stay in the dormitory and play games. Shut the doors and windows and don’t go out!”
“What? Why?” Luo Ming asked in a shocked voice.
“Just do it!” Jiang hung up the phone. He had tried, but it was to no avail.
Li Jun could not return the money he owed him, and it was even harder to borrow money.
After all, they were all students.
“I have to do something…”
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS
Liu_KaixuanHello everyone~
My nickname is Valvrave and I’m My MCV and Doomsday’s Editor. As you’ll see in the latter chapters, I’ll be highjacking the Translator’s Thoughts very often.
The translator and I would like to thank you reading this unique novel. It may seem slow-paced at first, but it gets better and interesting as its progressing ^_^
***
If you have any questions/want to chat, or know any spoilers, then join us on MCV’s discord server, https://discord.gg/G8sGCvn .
Have fun~
Chapter 2: Finding Money
Translator: Liu_Kaixuan Editor: Valvrave
Jiang Liushi checked his phone over and over, and suddenly saw the icon of a foxy guy. An idea popped into his head.
The foxy man had shiny hair and was wearing a pair of sunglasses. He was called Ma Hao. He was very well-known in school, not because of his talents, but his strong connections. No wonder Jiang and Ma were QQ friends.
Ma Hao and Jiang Liushi were two different people. Jiang was a simple man, who was not very social. Except his classmates, very few people knew him.
Jiang vaguely remembered that he had heard from Li Jun that Ma Hao had a friend who gave loans to students. In order to borrow money, some girls went as far as to provide him with indecent photos.
If they did not pay him back, then their private information and pictures were released to the public, sent to their classmates, or even to their families.
Jiang Liushi had been speechless when he’d heard this. He could not understand why some girls would go that far just to satisfy their vanity. Ma Hao often took girls’ indecent photos from his friends and sent them to the student’s group “to share”. Many classmates would then comment on them. Of course, Jiang Liushi did not feel sympathy for those girls.
Originally, Jiang Liushi had felt that he could never associate with them, but now he believed it was an excellent opportunity.
Jiang Liushi called Ma Hao and waited a bit before he answered.
“Ma Hao, can your friend lend me some money?” Jiang got straight to the point.
Ma Hao soon replied, “No problem, just send me your student ID.”
Jiang sent a photo of his student card right away. Ma Hao confirmed and asked, “How much do you want to borrow?”
“20,000 yuan!” Jiang said bluntly. According to his understanding, 20,000 yuan should be the highest amount. After all, his family background was not a secret, and Ma Hao could casually inquire about it.
Obviously, Ma Hao was shocked; for a student, 20,000 yuan was a significant amount. Many girls borrowed just a thousand or even hundreds.
“What do you want to do? You don’t need that money for an abortion, right?” Ma Hao asked.
“It’s for something important. Don’t ask, just tell me the conditions,” Jiang said.
“En…Well, give me your student card as well as your home address. You should also write me an IOU for 25,000 yuan. Meanwhile, record a video of the IOU, reading the above content willingly. When you pay me back, I will destroy it in front of you.”
“When will you pay me back?” Ma Hao asked.
“In a month,” Jiang Liushi said.
“You should pay me back in time. I trust you because we are classmates.” Ma Hao said.
“Okay,” Jiang Liushi said in a low voice. The interest of this loan was unfairly high, and Jiang knew that his so-called friend would get a share in this.
Ma Hao seemed very comfortable as if he did not worry about it at all. If Jiang Liushi did not pay him back, Ma Hao would make him beg for death.
Jiang Liushi sneered inside. What interest? What threat? Would I have time to care about Ma Hao while the end of the world is approaching?
In the afternoon, Jiang Liushi found a good car-rental company on the Internet. Then he went to sign the IOU contract with Ma Hao and get the money.
Ma Hao transferred the money to Jiang through the phone. Meanwhile, he curiously looked him up and down and asked, “What on earth do you want to do?”
“It’s for something big. You will know about it in a week,” Jiang mysteriously said.
Ma Hao had nothing to say. He suddenly regretted lending.
Jiang Liushi’s matters were not important to him. Ma Hao was relieved because he knew that no student dared not pay back the money they owed him.
After getting the money, Jiang Liushi immediately rushed to the car-rental company.
There was a small number of minibusses, so it was hard to get one. Jiang had asked all car-rental companies he had found on the Internet, and only one had a minibus available. The car-rental company urged him to go as soon as possible because they could only reserve the minibus for two hours or so. Jiang Liushi hurried and arrived an hour ahead. Seeing the sign of the store, he felt relieved.
The company was not large and had a simple layout. Behind the reception desk was a lively, sweet girl with a ponytail.
The girl was dressed in a very simple uniform, which made her look clean and elegant. She must have been 18 or 19 years old. When he arrived, she was talking with another client in a suit. She gave him a sweet smile, indicating that he had to wait. Seeing this vivacious girl, Jiang Liushi was stunned for a moment. She was very young to be working in a place like this.
As Jiang sat on the sofa, he saw the corner of a sixth-level English vocabulary book under some official documents. He realized that the girl had to be a student, and may even be his classmate; she had to be working part-time there.
This car-rental company was not far from the university. It was cost effective to hire a sweet girl as a receptionist, and it could also boost the business.
“Hello, I am Wen Xiaotian, a client manager. You can call me Xiaowen. I’m glad to be of service to you.” Wen Xiaotian had probably said the same words to the other client. Her elegant appearance along with the commercial greeting gave him a delightful feeling. It was unconstrained but somewhat cute.
“Hello, I booked a minibus online…” Jiang Liushi stood up and said.
“Ah… this…” With a somewhat embarrassed expression, Wen Xiaotianl replied, “I’m so sorry, the gentleman in the suit just rented the last minibus…”
She was the one who had approved that online order. However, the minibus had been rented by her boss, and she felt really embarrassed.
She was just an employee though; how could she influence her boss’s decision?
“I’m really sorry. You have to wait and re-book. In a few days, another minibus will be available. By that time, the client will also have returned the minibus,” Wen Xiaotian said regrettably.
Jiang Liushi was stunned for a moment. How could he wait for such a long time? This car was the only one. He could not think of any other way. He suddenly asked, “Has he paid yet?”
“Not yet, but he is about to sign the contract,” Wen Xiaotian replied with a puzzled expression; she did not know why he had asked this.
The client in the suit glanced at Jiang with a faint smile. He could see Jiang Luishi’s anxious face, but he had been a minute too late.
“Oh, so he hasn’t paid yet. Then tell your boss I will add an additional 200 a day for two weeks. There will be no abrasions because I will use it in the city,” Jiang Liushi said.
Wen Xiaotian was perplexed for a moment. She just stood there wondering what to do; it was the first time she had to deal with something like that.
“I will add 300 yuan!” Seeing Wen Xiaotian not replying, Jiang increased the price again.
Wen Xiaotian was hesitant. It was a significant amount, and Jiang Liushi looked very anxious. “Sir, I have to ask my boss,” she replied.
The other client just sat there silently with an unreadable expression. He thought that Jiang was the scion of a wealthy family.
“You can rent it to him,” the man in the suit said. He knew the boss would immediately agree, so there was no need to ask.
“I’m so sorry. You have to wait until this weekend, but then I will provide you a new one. You see, this client seems to need it urgently…” Wen Xiaotian quickly apologized.
Jiang Liushi looked like a 20-year-old student, so the other client could not help but ask, “Young man, why do you want to rent it for so long?”
“Just cause…” Jiang said.
“Just cause…?” Perhaps today’s youngsters really were becoming more egotistical.
Jiang Liushi did not care what others thought about him, especially at the end of the world was approaching.
Jiang soon signed a contract with the leasing company. He skimmed through the contract, and sure enough, this kind of leasing agreement was very harsh on the customer. Frequently, there were all sorts of insurance. Even a scratch on it could cost a lot of money.
He just glanced at it and signed it.
This car would be getting a lot more than just a few scratches in the future…
“We need to keep your ID card,” Wen Xiaotian said with a smile.
Swish!
Jiang Liushi had long been ready to give his ID card and take the car keys.
Just as he was two steps away from the door, Jiang went back and said, “Can you help me find a driver?”
He did not have a driver’s license yet…
Chapter 3: Scanning and Refitting
Translator: Liu_Kaixuan Editor: Valvrave
Sitting in the minibus, Jiang Liushi called his younger sister… Although he knew that this call would not matter, just like a stone dropped into the sea.
Before the Starseed popped up in his brain, his younger sister had gone to the mountains for investigating; the reception on the mountains was bad.
To make things worse, his younger sister was still in the mountains while the end of the world was approaching.
But fortunately, Jiang Liushi knew, through the Starseed, that both he and his younger sister would not be infected by the virus. His younger sister would finish the investigation in two days, which made Jiang Liushi very happy. He and his younger sister kept each other alive in the past years. If Jiang Liushi couldn’t contact her, he would go crazy.
Just as he expected, her cell phone was off. Jiang Liushi sent a text message to her; telling her to contact him immediately after seeing it. Jiang would ensure that his phone would be switched on and in service 24/7. He believed that his younger sister would call him back immediately because he sounded so anxious.
“Sir, is it okay if we stop here?” The driver drove Jiang Liushi home, looking around curiously. This area was considered the oldest community of Jiangbei Town. The houses were extremely old, from the 90’s, and each household had kind of the oldest canopies and anti-theft bars.
[This is the place where the rich second generation lives? It is quite unexpected! Is it to gain life experience!?] But this was none of the driver’s business. When Jiang Liushi signed, the driver handed him the keys and left.
Sitting in the minibus, Jiang Liushi exhaled deeply. He was busy with all kinds of preparations. Although at this point everything was ready, he was not at peace at all and felt terrible. Waves of panic broke out, running through his body.
Sitting for five or six minutes, Jiang Liushi finally calmed down. That reaction was extremely normal considering that end of the world was approaching.
Following the instructions are given by Starseed, Jiang stood up and went to the driver’s seat. He sat down with his hands holding the steering wheel and then he closed his eyes. It was like a switch turned on and a lot of images appeared in his mind very clearly. After that, the body of the minibus became transparent and all its parts were clearly visible.
Jiang knew that Starseed was scanning the minibus. His heart was permeated by a mystical feeling. He felt like he was in a VR game. Although he couldn’t afford a VR device when it had first appeared on the market, he still had gained a better experience.
After the whole minibus was scanned, all its information appeared in his mind.
Model: Medium passenger bus (For 14)
Age: 10 years old
Power: Petrol powered
Maximum speed: 110km / h
Engine: Displacement 5.014L water-cooled inline four-cylinder pressurized direct injection
Flaws: Old engine and worn-out car parts
To sum it up, this was a very common minibus. Jiang estimated that it had been retired after traveling and was bought by the rental company. As a matter of fact, such a car would have a lot of small problems; that’s a rip-off.
But Jiang Liushi didn’t mind at all because it was the most cost-effective way. He only spent a little more than 10,000 yuan. After the first refitting, this minibus would be initially adaptable to the approaching end of the world.
There were several ways for refitting according to the Starseed. However, Jiang Liushi chose the Mobile Construction Vehicle (MCV). Although the refitting of MCV needed lots of consumable material, its practicality was beyond doubt. Soon, the Starseed gave the list of materials needed for refitting; the list left Jiang breathless.
He needed to acquire 100 pounds of steel, 100 pounds of copper, screws of different specifications, 10 kilograms of titanium, about 10 square feet of leather, as well as all kinds of strange materials. Jiang Liushi knew that all these materials were extremely expensive, each of them typically costing more than the last one.
This list of materials was completely beyond his current budget. The materials needed almost were beyond his imagination probably because he chose a more complex type. He didn’t know whether the rest of his money, as well as the money he was going to gain after selling his assets, was going to be enough.
Although the roads were covered with advertisements as “One-minute account, only ID card needed to borrow money”, Jiang Liushi had already given his student card to Ma Hao and identity card to the car rental company. He didn’t own any property so he didn’t have any other official documents that he could use in order to borrow money.
[Well, I will just order whatever I can buy…]
Jiang Liushi took out his phone. When he opened it, he found two missed calls. He hadn’t heard his phone ringing, and he didn’t recognize the phone number at all…
“Hello?” Jiang Liushi called back.
“Hello. Is this Jiang Liushi?” It was a girl with a sweet, soft voice.
“Yes, I am. You called me. Is something the matter?” Jiang Liushi asked.
“I am Li Yuxin.” The girl replied.
Jiang Liushi didn’t expect it at all. He thought that this was a business-related call. Either it was from the car rental company or a customer service representative. He had never expected to receive a call from Li Yuxin. Although he didn’t spend much time on the phone with girls, he didn’t have trouble speaking with her. He was just wondering why she called him. As a matter of fact, they had been desk-mates in senior high school.
Li Yuxin’s family conditions were pretty good. Her appearance was delicate and pleasant. She had a nice disposition which made her really popular in class. A particular scene surfaced in Jiang Liushi’s mind, it was Li Yuxin’s figure as she was staring at the window with her beautiful hair falling down her shoulders.
Li Yuxin was an excellent student, but she was not good at math. However, Jiang Liushi was good at math and as a result, Li Yuxin was always asking Jiang Liushi to explain math problems.
Li Yuxin was always absorbed in class, so she couldn’t notice that her hair occasionally touched Jiang’s hands. Unfortunately, his parents had been in an accident, so he hadn’t gone to school for a month. When he returned to school, he had turned into a different person. He had become extremely shy and introverted, and he began sitting at the back of the classroom by himself. Although Li Yuxin had looked from time to time in his direction, she had tried several times to talk to him but she hadn’t been able to.
Finally, Jiang Liushi had finally gotten over his parents’ death. Although they studied at the same university now, the two of them had drifted apart. However, Jiang Liushi still cherished the beautiful heartthrob.
Hearing Li Yuxin’s voice again, Jiang felt a surge in his heart; her voice was like a soft breeze.
“Really… It has been a long time,” Jiang could not help but sigh.
“Yes, we haven’t talked to each other for a long time,” Li Yuxin answered.
“Well, what’s the matter?” Jiang asked.
“I heard that you were short on money. I am not close to Li Jun, but I happened to hear about it,” Li Yuxin said.
Jiang Liushi suddenly frowned: “What did he say?”
“He invited my friend to go out with him for dinner. But he was always watching his phone. As a result, my friend asked him why. He said you asked him to borrow money. I thought you may be in a trouble, so asked him for your phone number…” Li Yuxin answered frankly.
“Li Jun…” Jiang Liushi was speechless. Li Jun hadn’t even paid his money back, but he had discussed his private matters with others. What he really needed to learn was how to act in public!
“The truth is…”Jiang Liushi narrated the truth.
After listening, Li Yuxin was infuriated: “I know you are not that kind of person. He also said that you were as bold as brass. I will quickly tell my friend so that she stays away from him. Well, did you really need money?”
“It’s okay, I’ve figured it out…”Jiang Liushi said.
“Your Alipay number is your phone number, right? I will transfer you a sum of money. You can pay me back when you are better off. We are friends, don’t worry. When we were in senior high school, you patiently helped me with math problems every day, even in your spare time. However, I never really thanked you.” Li Yuxin laughed.
Jiang Liushi was surprised for a moment. Li Yuxin’s laughter was so pleasant…
“No, thank you…”
“You are welcome. That’s what friends are for, right?” Li Yuxin chuckled. Her laughter sounded like wind chimes.
“Of course.” Putting down the phone, Jiang Liushi felt very warm.
It was unexpected that Li Yuxin had helped him and she had not asked him why he needed to borrow money from the beginning to the end.
He got a message. He was surprised to see that the transferred money was 20,000 yuan. There was a new message, saying, “You may be better off financially with this money. Much better.”
Jiang was moved by her words. Although Li Yuxin’s family was rich, she usually led a thrifty life. The 20,000 yuan must have been her own money. But when she heard that he had difficulties, she immediately took the initiative to call, several times…
Jiang Liushi suddenly decided to call back immediately. However, when the phone was picked up, Li Yuxin said uneasily, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Liushi could not help but laugh, he was moved and happy, “Don’t worry. I didn’t call to give your money back.”
“Oh…” Li Yuxin felt relieved and quickly said, “You do not need to thank me. Without your help, how could I have been admitted to Jiangbei University…”
“It’s no big deal.” Jiang Liushi had embarrassingly touched his head and then coughed, and then said very seriously, “Please give me your address.”
“My address? Why? Do you want to pay me back in person?”Li Yuxin laughed.
“Do not worry, just tell me. I will not do anything bad.” Jiang Liushi deliberately joked.
“Well, ok, my address is …”
“Wait. I will write it down.” Jiang Liushi turned on his hands-free and then recorded her home address on a memo.
“Really? Did you write it down? I am a little nervous. Will you really come? But if you come to visit, I will be very happy.” Li Yuxin said.
Actually, she was a little embarrassed. And Jiang Liushi knew that his request was too abrupt, but he had no choice. Although it was a bit abrupt, that was necessary.
“Yu Xin, next Tuesday, you must stay at home with your parents. You shouldn’t go anywhere. The best option is if you stay in different rooms and once that happens just lock yourselves inside. I will come for you. There’s a very important reason! This is a life-and-death matter!” Jiang Liushi said in a serious and firm tone.
Jiang Liushi realized that if he told Li Yuxin the truth, she wouldn’t believe him, and neither would her parents. If he said that it was a life-and-death situation, her parents might think he was crazy.
“Lock ourselves in different rooms?” Li Yuxin sounded puzzled. Did someone want to attack them?
“Jiang Liushi, are you in some kind of trouble? Did you borrow from loan sharks and can’t repay them?” Li Yuxin asked nervously.
“No, but it’s really important! You must believe me! This thing is very important, please!”Jiang Liushi said.
He had borrowed money, but it did not matter… He did not worry about it at all.
“This… I…well…well…” Li Yuxin reluctantly agreed. This thing really sounded too bizarre.
“Believe me! And do as I said!” Jiang said again.
“This…”
“Promise me!” Jiang Liushi said sincerely.
“Okay, good …”
Hanging up the phone, Jiang Liushi exhaled. He had tried, but he did not know what would happen to Li Yuxin. But at least she should stay at home. She was a very kind girl. Only God knew whether Li Yuxin would survive or not. Hopefully, God would not let such a good girl die in this catastrophe. And as long as she was alive, Jiang Liushi believed that he could find her.
Chapter 4: Refitting
Translator: Liu_Kaixuan Editor: Valvrave
With the money lent by Li Yuxin, Jiang Liushi immediately began making purchases. Some things could not be bought on the Internet, so he went to the market to buy certain materials. The rarest ones couldn’t be found in the market so he had to go to an auto parts factory to buy them.
At first, the boss refused to sell pre-owned ones. Jiang Liushi added 500 yuan to get them, gnashing his teeth. Before leaving, he shook his head as he saw the boss rubbing his fingers carefully while counting the money. It was obvious that the boss just wanted to sell at a higher price. Although he was very happy for the 500 yuan, a week later, he would find out that money would mean nothing.
It took him three days to get all the materials, and the whole minibus was filled with them. When the last pieces of materials were put in, Jiang Liushi was relieved. He had finally caught up.
He ran around for three days, and he had almost walked through the whole Jiangbei Town. Probably because it was the first refit, the materials needed were involved in every aspect.
Meanwhile, Jiang Liushi was also watching the news and keeping up with the developments of Jiangbei Town. He found that fewer leaders appeared in the news just like he’d expected. Although things seemed normal, he could feel danger simmering below the surface.
“Begin!”
Jiang Liushi closed all the curtains and then sat down in the driver’s seat. Breathing steadily, he put his hands on the steering wheel. Suddenly, the structure of the minibus was clearly reflected in his mind. It felt like he had a new pair of special eyes helping him scan the minibus. Wherever he laid his eyes, the data and the condition of that part of the minibus would immediately appear.
The overall state of the minibus was: Mobile Construction Vehicle (ordinary type), waiting to be modified.
[The materials have been tested. Begin refitting or not?]
Jiang Liushi shouted in his mind: [Begin!]
The refitting of this minibus needed 72 hours. It could not travel until the refitting was complete. Jiang Liushi felt that the steering wheel had suddenly obtained a strange power and started shaking spontaneously.
The refitting would take a long time and Jiang Liushi could not stay in the car all the time. He was only curious to sit in the driver’s seat for a while. He got up from the driver’s seat and realized that the materials had actually disappeared from the car. After that, he left the car to see if any other changes were taking place. As everything else seemed normal he returned back home.
Just by opening the door, Jiang could see all kinds of supplies. They had been sent within three days. The courier had given Jiang Liushi a strange look as he was delivering his things. But Jiang Liushi did not care at all. It was impossible to think of the real use of them. Jiang Liushi did not go to the university, as learning was useless when the world’s end was approaching.
Now that the minibus was being refitted, Jiang Liushi kept calling his sister, and he searched on the Internet about common knowledge which included field survival, simple first-aid knowledge, medical knowledge as well as the surrounding terrain, how to read maps and so on.
Jiang Liushi also specifically downloaded the national map to his PC. It made sure the map could be used even without network. It almost marked all the points, from small shops to a variety of manufacturers, from the national road to some rural roads. They were extremely clear. For the map, he also spent 100 yuan because the free map wasn’t detailed. He had spent almost all his money, but the preparations were basically completed.
Jiang Liushi’s phone started ringing, and he quickly looked. A surprised smile formed on his face. It was his sister, he had been calling her non-stop and she finally called him back.
“Hey!”
“Hi brother, what’s wrong? Why are you so anxious? I just got off. This time’s investigation was very stimulating. We went to a village, which had the custom of…”
“Jiang Zhuying, please be quiet! Listen to me!” Jiang Liushi said, interrupting his sister.
Hearing the seriousness of her brother’s voice, Jiang Zhuying felt that her brother should have some important matters, so she immediately stopped, and softly saying, “Brother, speak.”
Jiang Liushi calmed down because he didn’t want to panic his younger sister. He asked, “Xiao Ying, where are you now?”
“School, I just separated with my teachers and classmates. I’m about to return to my dormitory. My phone’s battery had died, so I charged it for a while, opened it and then I saw your message.” Although Jiang Zhuying was naughty, as long as she became aware of the seriousness of the situation, she would immediately become a well-behaved girl thinking clearly. She summarized her own situation quickly. Although she still did not know why Jiang Liushi seemed so anxious, she regarded her brother as the main pillar of the family at any significant moment. She had been raised with love and care by her brother, all those years.
“You do not need to return to the dormitory. Book a flight home right away!” Jiang Liushi said.
“Well, brother, just wait a minute.” After a while, she said, “Brother, there are no tickets.”
“What about tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? You should come back no matter how much money you have to spend,” Jiang Liushi said.
“There’re no more tickets available,” Jiang Zhuying said.
He suddenly had a foreboding feeling. Crackling sounds could be heard from the keyboard as he opened the flight booking website. Searching city after city, Jiang Liushi’s heart was sinking. All the tickets for the next three days actually had been sold out, no matter where from where. And the earliest available ones were on the day after the end of the world…
This was absolutely impossible; it couldn’t be just a mere coincidence.
“Brother, I could return in three days, right?” Jiang Zhuying asked.
“It’s too late,” Jiang Liushi said.
Jiang Zhuying didn’t understand why only one day could make a difference, but she did not ask. “Train! What if I buy a train ticket?” she asked.
Jiang Liushi tapped the keyboard and calmly said: “No train tickets are available.”The train tickets for the next three days had also been sold out.
“Brother, hang on. I will go to the bus station to ask. Maybe I could even rent a car,” Jiang Zhuying said.
“Don’t!” Jiang said.
Firstly, they did not know about the situation on the road. Secondly, even if the road was normal, Jiang Zhuying needed more than two days to come back. And all the trains and planes would be paralyzed. It was likely to encounter traffic jam on the road; Jiang Zhuying would die in that case.
“Don’t do that!” Jiang said again.
Jiang Zhuying felt that her brother’s voice seemed to be very strange; it made her feel a little nervous.
“Xiao Ying, you have to listen carefully,” Jiang Liushi said.
“Don’t go back to your dormitory. You need to find a place without too many people. It should have good security and be elusive. Then you should buy as much drinking water as possible, some drugs, daily necessities, and food! You should make sure the phone is fully charged. Next, charge all your power banks, although we do not know whether phones can be used or not… Remember to lock the door and do not go out, just wait for me!”
“You must wait for me, must!” Jiang Liushi repeated.
“Xiao Ying, the end of the world is approaching…”
Chapter 5: The Final Preparations
Translator: Liu_Kaixuan Editor: Valvrave
Jiang Liushi had to change his plan because his sister could not return. He had intended to drive the refitted minibus, filled with the supplies he had purchased, accompanied by his sister, Li Yuxin, and her parents to a holiday resort a hundred miles away from Jiangbei Town.
He had been there once. There were a few residents around the place. It was in a beautiful area and most importantly it had all kinds of necessary facilities. He believed they could live there for a while and think a way to survive. Although he knew the end of the world was approaching, he had no idea what was gonna happen. According to different circumstances, they needed time to make other plans. Anyway, the minibus was a convenient and safe way of moving around.
However, that plan would never be realized. Jiang Liushi was now unable to leave for the suburbs and to make things worse he had to go to Nanjing City, which had a vast population. He didn’t know what he would come across on the road. As a result, Jiang Liushi urged Jiang Zhuying to buy necessary supplies and wait for him.
If the minibus did not need three days to finish refitting, he would have already left. However, without the minibus, he was just an ordinary college student, who couldn’t fight his way out at all.
At that night, Jiang Zhuying sent her location information to Jiang Liushi. She had rent an apartment in an alley, next to her school, which was located on the sixth floor. She also had taken a picture and sent it to Jiang Liushi. Two rooms had been filled with supplies, enough for her to live on a whole month.
“Brother, you can rest assured about everything.” Jiang Zhuying sent a message with a big smiley face.
Jiang Liushi had informed his sister about the end of the world, but he didn’t mention anything about the Starseed. It was not that he didn’t trust her, it was just too complex to explain.
However, his sister believed him and was quite calm about it. She was not just in the mood to take pictures, but also send emoticon.
Jiang Liushi knew that his sister had to be really nervous but it didn’t matter as long as she obediently did as he told.
“Well, as of today, do not go out and lock the doors and windows. Except from me, do not answer or open to anyone!” No matter what, law and morality did not matter during doomsday. Although what he wrote back sounded unreasonable, it had to be said.
There were too many scenarios in those doomsday movies; like killing a person for a packet of biscuits. After all, life is for the living. In fact, Jiang Liushi was not cold-blooded. If he could ensure their own security and it was within the minivan capacity, he would help others too. However, as he was unable to protect Jiang Zhuying directly, at least he would do everything possible about her safety; it was in no way going to be an adventure.
“I got it.” Jiang Zhuying texted back.
Seeing his younger sister obediently agreeing, Jiang Liushi was temporarily relieved.
As long as he knew that Jiang Zhuying was safe, he would pull out all the stops to reach Nanjing City as soon as possible.
Three days flew by…
There was some uneasiness in television news; a lot of reporters had begun noticing some anomalies in general and some unexplainable actions other countries had taken.
However, ordinary people had not paid too much attention in those things. They were still following their daily routine; going to work from nine to five, picking up their children from school, buying food, etc…
Jiang Liushi continued staying at home, and occasionally he would go out to see if there were any changes outside. During the last three days, Li Jun and Luo Ming had sent him messages, respectively. He was not in the mood to read Li Jun’s message.
“Buddy, are you alright? Did you elope with your girlfriend with borrowed money? You haven’t gone to school! You are in trouble!” Luo Ming asked in his message.
“Don’t forget, do not go out on Tuesday! You should stay in the bedroom and lock the door! Just play with your games,” Jiang Liushi said once more, regardless of whether Luo Ming would listen.
“Why must it be on Tuesday? Hey, tomorrow is Tuesday…”
Jiang Liushi took a deep breath before replying, “Yes, that is tomorrow…”
Jiang Liushi found it really difficult to fall asleep that night. Before going to bed, he had first hired two people to help him move all the supplies next to the minibus, and then he sent a message, with instructions, to all his friends about tomorrow. He specifically gave extra instructions to Li Yuxin and Jiang Zhuying. And then, sitting on the supplies, he unconsciously fell asleep; occasionally fidgeting.
Di-Di-Di
Jiang Liushi was not awakened by the ringtone of his alarm, but because of a strange sound in his mind.
It was the Starseed!
Jiang Liushi stood up, and quickly ran to the door of minibus. From the outside, the minibus did not seem any different, but when he grabbed the handle, information about the minibus suddenly appeared in his mind. A little current passed through his hands, then hearing a click sound, the door opened. This door had gained a security model which could only be opened by him.
Getting on the minibus, his eyes lit up and mouth slightly opened, in an ‘O’ shape, what he saw truly shocked him. The internal structure of the minibus had been completely changed in a totally different style. The originally neatly packed seats, now had become two seats just like a sofa. Next to the seats was a table, shelves and so on. The body of the minibus had been divided into several parts with some advanced sliding doors. As Jiang Liushi looked around, he noticed that there were a bathroom, a kitchen, and a small bedroom with a soft bed. As an old saying goes, “Small as the sparrow is, it possesses all its internal – small but complete.”
Jiang Liushi was trying to digest all the changes of the minivan, after gathering his wits he quickly ran to the driver’s compartment, which had changed a lot too. It was in a separate space, it had a big screen on the display board and next to the steering wheel, there had been added a variety of buttons and joysticks. Jiang Liushi sat in the very soft driving seat, holding the steering wheel. Suddenly, the whole car was clearly visible in his mind. Simultaneously, the buttons and the joysticks around the dashboard lit up.
[The refitting of the Mobile Construction Vehicle (General version) was completed]
Refitting information:
Model: Mobile Construction Vehicle (General version), camouflaging as a minibus
Space configuration: bedroom X1, kitchen X1, bathroom X1, small living room X1.
Weapon equipment: Compressed Air Gun, primary, with air flow rate of 810m / s, volume of 500L.
Shell strength: F-class (anti-ordinary bullet level, collision level).
Power: Gasoline powered.
Maximum speed: 300km / h.
All mechanical problems have been fixed.
Jiang Liushi was extremely excited and satisfied with the result of refitting. However, this was only the general version; with limited functions. It would need further refitting in order to travel anywhere totally unimpeded. More materials would be needed but Jiang Liushi was short on time and money. What’s more, he didn’t know the specific materials required, thus it was impossible to prepare in advance.
The minibus had significantly increased their survival rate, so he hurried to familiarize on how to operate it, and then he called the two porters, who had helped him last night. They had already discussed what to do; moving all the resources to the car after they arriving.
Upon seeing the minibus’s internal space, the two men were very surprised and started reevaluating Jiang Liushi. At first, they thought that Jiang Liushi could be a petty dealer, who lived in a small rental house, stocking so much food and daily necessities. They never expected… This young man to actually be driving a motor home! But they were hostile towards the rich and looked down on Jiang Liushi. As for Jiang Liushi, he was too busy to care about their reaction, constantly looking the time and watching his surroundings. After everything was placed in the minibus, he immediately got on it, the doors and windows were completely closed, and then he nervously sat down on the driver’s seat.
